Tabb knocks off Grafton 5-0 in field hockey battle of unbeatens

YORK — — In a sense, Grafton High's field hockey players should be flattered. Defending AA/A state champion Tabb took them very seriously.

On the other hand, Grafton might have fared a little better in the Bay Rivers District battle of unbeatens on Thursday had they been overlooked. Tabb showed a sense of focus and urgency from the start, and used it to earn a 5-0 victory over the visiting Clippers.

"We were really psyched because Grafton's a good team," said Melissa Progar, a Tabb sophomore who scored a goal and had two assists. "It's nice to have a lot of competition."

One reason Tabb (14-0, 7-0 district) was so ready for the game is that Grafton (11-1, 5-1) won their meeting in the 2010 district tournament championship game: the Tigers only loss against a Bay Rivers foe in the past four seasons. The Tigers avenged that defeat in the state tournament, but the Clippers 11 consecutive victories to start the 2011 season made Thursday's game one of the more anticipated in the rivalry.

"Everybody's been pumping up Grafton, that this is their year," Tabb coach Wendy Wilson said. "I think the girls felt they had to come out and prove they were capable of being as strong a team as they've been in the past."

The first bit of proof for the Tigers was Julia Aymonin's goal on a pass from Hollie MacDonald before the game was two minutes old. MacDonald and midfielder Bri Jasenak partnered in pushing relentless pressure toward the Grafton goal from the opening whistle.

For most of the first half, Grafton's Julia Young, Alaina Madeline, AG Cherry, Gina Lawson, Caroline Beaudoin and goalie Andrea Rinehart did a nice job of blunting the Tabb onslaught. But Progar's shot from near the top of the circle on a pass from Grace Wusk late in the first half put the Tigers up 2-0 and set the stage for a dominant second half.

That dominance started with a rock-solid Tabb defense led by Jamie Bourgeois, whom Wilson felt played the best game of her life. Wusk, Marissa O'Brien and Macy Peebles were also stellar in a cohesive Tabb defensive unit that moved the ball upfield quickly in response to the slightest Grafton threat.

Progar led the Tabb attack in the second half with numerous long runs down the right side which she punctuated with dangerous crosses into the circle. Peebles benefited from one Progar pass on goal that made it 3-0. Wusk scored off of a second Progar assist to make it 4-0 with 13 minutes, 27 seconds remaining.

"She's phenomenal," Wilson said of Progar. "When she has the ball on her stick it looks like she's just floating.

"She just can move, just can transition that ball. To be as young as she is, that's just awesome."

The Tigers continued to pour it on, closing out the scoring with a goal from Lauren Neff with 8:09 to go. It was another sign of respect for Grafton rather than a desire to rub it in.

"Against a team as strong a caliber as them, we don't ever want to let up or change our game-plan in any way because we have goals up," Wilson said. "We don't want to sit back and protect the house and get off our game."